Wire-stretcher.



R. 0. TANGEN.

WIRE STRETCHEH.

APPLICATION man AP11.13. 191,6.

L'BQ A Patented Sept. 4,1917.

REINHART 0. TANGEN, OF BEACH, NORTH DAKOTA.

j WIRE-STRETCHER. y

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. d, 191'?.

Application ined April 13, 191e. serial No. 90,956.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Ruim-MRT O. TAN- GEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beach, in the county of Golden Valley and State of North Dakota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wire- Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wire stretchers, the primary object being to provide a simple and inexpensive device which can be connected permanently for taking up slack whenever desired in the strands of wire fences. The primary object of the invention is to so simplify the construction as to reduce its cost to a minimum. 4

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan of my invention, a tool being shown applied thereto for tightening a wire, and Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line X-X of Fig. 1.

My invention comprises a body in the form of a yoke having a pair of side members 2 and 3 held in parallel relation spaced a short distance apart by means of the pins 4L and 5, the ends of which are riveted in place to hold the side members securely. The "side members 2 and 3 may when desired be formed as a unit with a curved intermediate portion 6 constituting an eye member through which one end of the wire such as 7 to be tightened can be secured. Arranged between the side members 2 and 3 and jonrnaled freely upon the pin L is a loose pulley or sheave 8 around which the other end 9 of the wire to be tightened is passed and adapted to be drawn. The extremities of the sides 2 and 3 are formed with concave surfaces 10, which perform the function of a journal, which is adapted to re` ceive and hold the body or cylindrical portion 11 of head 12 of a hammer or other suitable tool to be revolved in said seat. The free end of the wire 9 is adapted to be hitched over the claws of said head and when the hammer is revolved by swinging its handle 13 and its cylindrical body 11 turns in said seat, the wire is wrapped around said cylindrical body and drawn tightly over the sheave 8. When fully tightened, a dog 14 having a serrated biting or draw surface 15, engages the wire and holds it permanently in stretched condition until the dog is purposely released. The

body of this dog is pivotally mounted upon the pin 5 between the sides 2 and 3. The cylindrical body 11 performs the function of a spindle when revolved in the journal 10 and the dog automatically engages the wire which is tightened and locks it in stretched condition as it is tightened by revolving the hammer. In this manner, a device for tightening the wire is constructed without the use of a permanently secured spindle member, thus simplifying the structure and reducing its cost. It is also of such construction as to enable its coperating with an ordinary tool, which is commonly employed for general utility work around the farm. The reduced cost of producing this simple device makes the invention serviceable for permanent connection in each and every fence strand, thus oering means for tightening fence strands at frequent intervals without disconnecting the strands.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A wire stretcher, comprising, in combination, a frame having a pair of side members spaced apart, the ends of said side members having concave edges forming an open journal seat for the rotation of a spindle member for wrapping the end of a wire strand to be tightened, a sheave member arranged between the sides of said frame and around which said end of the strand to be tightened may be looped and a cam member mounted upon said frame and adapted to engage and hold the end of said strand upon said sheave member, after it has been tightened, the opposite end of said frame from that which holds said sheave member being adapted to be engaged with and to hold another end of the wire to be tightened.

2. A wire stretcher, comprising, in combination, a frame constituting a yoke having its sides spaced apart and the extremities of Said sides being concave and forming a Wire in' tightened positioni said frame a journal seat for a spindle, a pair of pins having its yoke portion adapted to engage securing said sides in spaced relation, a and hold another end of a Wire to he tight- 10 sheave journaled upon one of Said pins and ened.

a cam movably mounted upon the other of In testimony whereof, I have signed my said pins having a surface adapted to coname to this specification.

operate With said sheave to hold the end of REINHART O. TANGEN. y

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve ents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

